Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1657-1660. 355

good of the People ouer whome he was placed as a minister
of Justice hath falsely & malitiously and against the Oath of
Councellor of state within this Province by him taken the Pri-
vate debates of the Councell disclosed viz at M^r Robert Slyes
house at or about the beginning of May last that it was at the
councell Resolued to make M^r Richard Preston one of his
Lordships Councellors hath before many persons affirmed &
as a debate of the Councell disclosed contrary to his duty,
faith, & Oath for secresy solemnly taken.
And whereas the disafection of the People to theyr Gover-
nors, in all places & in particular in this Province hath bin euer
found pernicious and destructive to the Peace & wellfare of
the People the s^d Gerrard (Aymeing at his owne Greatenes w^ch
in vnsettled times he might vphould when by the sad distrac-
tions of this Province no one Party could for the endeauours
of the other such factious spiritts sufficiently controule) false &
scandalous speaches & Reports hath cast abroad tending to
Avert & alienate the minds of his lordships best freinds from
his Lordships Governor & consequently Govern^t heere (since
without officers no Govern^t can stand) Insinuateing Cunningly

Liber H. H.

vnto the People (viz at or about the beginning of May last at
M^r Robert Slye aforesaid) that the Governor would yeald vnto
any thing (Howe preiudiciall soeuer to that Party that had as
freinds asserted his lordships Just Rights) requested by the
People at Annarundell then & there sayeing the Governor
will giue them any thing or words to that effect. Which
words so full of Mallice, Cunning & Covertly Vttered to sett
our wounds euen then scarsely healed fresh on bleeding & to
embroile the Country in worse & more dangerous distempers
can not by any interpretacon (nowe to be putt vpon them) be
rendred other then what they were viz mutinous & seditious &
tending to the disherison of his Lordship & his Heires since
they are well & truly interpreted at another time by him selfe
Sayeing what cares Captaine Fendall what he giues away
since there was neuer Governor yett but had halfe the Rents
fines & forfeitures Insinuateing thereby a Carelesnes in his
Lordships Governor of the Just Rights of all persons in Re-
spect of his owne Gaine & further falsely & malitiously sug-
gesting that the said Captaine Fendall cared not what he did
to embroile the country since he had nothing to loose to the
vniust scandall of the said Captaine Fendall Governor of this
Province & damage & dishonor of his Lordship.
Neither hath his malitious & scandalous tongue reached at
his Lordships Lieutenant only & in him at his Lordships Juris-
diction & Government, but well knoweing the affections of the
People not easyly to be alienated by the endeavours of one
man he hath what in him lay endeauoured to destroy the

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